Material handling apparatus



Feb. 28, 1961 G. o. HEINZ 2,973,122

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n 49 W INVENTOR.

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 4, 1958 INVENTOR.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 759,027

7 Claims. (Cl. 222-185) This invention relates to a material handling apparatus, particularly adapted for handling large numbers of relatively small articles and delivering them at a controlled rate of flow to a position of access such as adjacent to a factory assembly line.

The material handling apparatus of this invention provides a movable container for the material being handled and a supporting structure for the container, including a receiver to receive material from the container so as to have it readily available such as for a worker on an assembly line. The apparatus of this invention permits the user such as the worker to have complete control of the time of discharge of the material from the container into the receiver and to control the rate of flow from the container. Thus the apparatus of this invention is adaptable to the conditions under which the material handling'apparatus is being used.

One of the features of this invention is to provide a material handling apparatus comprising a container for the material including a wall having a discharge opening, a movable door closing the opening, a structure releasably supporting the container, a receiver on the structure positioned to receive material from the container through the opening, a movable operating device on the supporting structure for engaging the door, the device and door being movable from fully closed to fully open positions, and means for substantially immovably securing the operating device in a selected one of a plurality of positions between fully closed and fully open positions to regulate the effective size of the discharge opening and thus the rate of discharge through the opening.

Another feature of the invention is to provide amaterial handling apparatus comprising the container, :1 movable door, the supporting structure, a receiver, and the movable operating device in which the operating device engages the closed door when the container is placed on the supporting structure only when the operating device is in fully closed position corresponding to the fully closed position of the door.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings: Figure l is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view,

partially broken away, and taken substantially along line ,22 of Figure '1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of Figure 2 with this view being rotated substantially 180 from the position of the view of Figure 2. The material handling apparatus of the embodiment shown in the drawings includes a supporting structure or "stand provided with the usual supporting legs 11 l and reinforcing members 12. The rear legs 11 have up- Wardly extending portions 11a between which extends a crossbar 13. The front legs 11 are provided with forwardly and upwardly sloped ends 11b. Attached to rrir atetlt the stand 10 forwardly of the front legs 11 and in the region of the leg ends 11b is a receiver 14. This receiver which is customarily made of sheet metal is provided with sides 14a, a bottom 14b, a forwardly sloped shallow front 140, and a rearwardly sloped rear Md. The top edges of the sides 14a slope upwardly and rearwardly to a region adjacent to but spaced from the leg portions 11b. Attached to the upper rear edge of the rear 14a of the receiver 14 is a reinforcing angle iron 15 extending from side to side of the receiver 14.

As has been pointed out, the rear edges Me of the sides 14a of the receiver are located adjacent to the angle iron legs 11a of the stand 10. These edges have attached thereto angle irons 16 having one leg 16a attached to the receiver side 14a and the other leg 16!) of each extending outwardly and spaced forwardly of and substantially parallel to the corresponding leg of the angle 11b.

Movably mounted between the angle iron legs 16!) and 11b for reciprocation therebetween is an extended leg 17a of an angle iron 17 whose other leg 17b extends forwardly and has its ends positioned between the angle legs 16a on the receiver sides 14a. Thus each end of one leg 17a of the angle 17 extends beyond the sides 14a 'of the receiver so that the angle 17 is guided in its movement by the angle legs 16b and 11b. As is shown most clearly in Figure 2, the ends of the leg 1% extend beyond the angle legs 16b.

Located beneath the rear plate 14d of the receiver and forwardly of the rear angle 15 of the receiver is a rotatable shaft 18 that is rotatably mounted in the front legs 11 adjacent to the bottom of the receiver 14. This shaft 18 is adapted to be oscillated by a lever 1} attached thereto and provided with a handle 29. This lever normally extends forwardly and downwardly as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Attached to each end of the shaft 18 is a linkage means including a pair of closely spaced relatively short bars 21 normally extending downwardly and forwardly and a single bar 22 normally extending upwardly. One end of each bar 21 is attached to shaft 18 for movement therewith while the other ends of the bar 21 have positioned between them one end of the bar 22 which is rotatably attached thereto by means of a hinge pin 23. Thus the combination of the bars 21 and 22 constitute a toggle. The upper end of the bar 22 is rotatably attached by means of a hinge pin 24- to a pair of parallel cars 25 that are attached to the extended end of the leg 17a of the angle iron 17. One of the toggles, including one set of bars 21 and 22, is located adjacent to an end of the shaft 18 and outwardly of a side 14a of a receiver 14. The other toggle unit as shown in Figure 2 is similarly located and is positioned inwardly of the supporting leg portion 11b of the stand 11?.

The apparatus of this invention includes a container 26 including sides 26a, back 26b, front 26c, and bottom 26d. The sides 26a extend down beneath the bottom 26d as shown in Figures 1 and 3 in order to provide a support for supporting the container on a floor or similar structure. The front 260 of the container is provided with a lower opening Zoe having a top edge reinforcement 27.

Normally closing the opening 26a is a rcciprocable door 28 normally in closed position as shown in the drawings but which may be moved upwardly as desired in order to regulate the effective size of the discharge opening and thus the rate of discharge through this opening.

The upper edge of the door 28 has attached at the outer surface thereof an angle iron 29 having a forwardly extending flange 29a. The sides 23a of the door are held within parallel channels 39 as shown in Figure 2 for guid ing the movement of the door. These channels 30 are located adjacent to the corners at the front of the com tainer 26 essentially horizontal.

3 tainer 26 and inwardly of front corner reinforcin angle irons 31 on the container.

With the parts of the apparatus in the positions shown in the drawings, but without the container 26 on the stand 19, the lever 19 and associated structure are in their lowermost positions. In placing the container on the stand, the container is lowered in the normal manner in substantially horizontal position'until the rear side notches 26g at the sides of the notches engage the cross bar 13. Further lowering of the container 26 into position causes the container to rock forwardly about this bar 13 until the front bottom angle iron 32 rests on the rear edge of the rear portion 14d of the receiver which is reinforced by the cross angle 15. The container is then in position to feed material therefrom through the access opening into the receiver 14.

Until the operator is ready to feed material from the container 26 into the receiver the door 28 keeps the access opening 26c closed. When the operator desires to permit material to flow into the receiver he grasps the handle 20 and pulls upwardly. This upward movement rotates the shaft 18 and thus the toggles 21-22 to raise the cross angle iron 17 which engages the bottom of the angle iron 29 that is attached at the top of the door 28. This raising or upward movement of the angle iron 17 raises the door 28 to expose the access opening 262. The material then flows from the container. 26 through the opening 26c into the receiver 14.

The eifective size of the discharge opening 26c is regulated by the extent of movement of the door 28. This in turn is regulated by the distance that the lever 19 is rotated upwardly. Thus if the articles contained in the container 26 are small and readily fluent, the door 28 will be opened only a relatively small amount. However if the articles are large and bulky, it may be necessary to raise the lever 19 until the door is in fully opened position. In order to lock the door in any one of a plurality of positions to provide the desired effective size of the dis charge opening, means are provided for substantially immovably securing the door in a selected one of a plurality of positions between fully closed and fully open positions in order to regulate the efiective size of the discharge opening and thus the rate of discharge through the opening. In the embodiment illustrated this means includes an end 19a on the lever 19 projectingrearwardly of the shaft 18. The extreme rear end of this lever 19 is provided with an opening 1%. The supporting leg portion 11b is provided with a plate 33 that is closely adjacent to and parallel to the path of movement of the lever end 1911. This plate 33 is provided with four equally spaced openings 33a, 33b, 33c and 33d arranged in an are so that each can be brought into alignment with the opening 19b in the lever end 1%. When the opening 19b is aligned with plate opening 33a, the operating parts of the structure are so positioned that the door 28 is in fully closed position. When the opening 1% is aligned with opening 33b, the door is /2 open. When the opening 19b is aligned with opening 33c, the door is /2 open. When the lever opening 1% is aligned with plate opening 33d, the door is open. When it is desired to open the door completely, the lever 19' is raised to its highest possible position.

In order to hold the door in the desired positions there is provided a pin 34 that is secured against loss by means of a chain 35. This pin is inserted through lever opening 19b and the desired aligned plate openings 33a, 33b, 33c, or 33:! in order to lock the lever 19 and thus the toggle and the door 28 in a desired position.

In Figure 3 the solid line positions of toggle bars 21 and 22 are the positions when the door is fully closed. The broken line positions of bars 21 and 22 in lever 19 are the positions when the door is open.

In use the container 26 is brought 'to the stand by a fork lift truck or similar vehicle which holds the con- The thick then lowers the container into position onthe stand so that the notches 26g engage the cross bar 13. Further lowering of the container 26 thereupon rocks the container forwardly about the bar 13.

In order to prevent the accidental discharge of material through the opening 26e, the door flange 29a will not engage the door opening flange 17 [1 except when this flange 17b is in its lowermost or closed position. Thus if this angle 17b is in a raised position away from this lowermost position, the arcuate movement of the flange 29a when the container 26 is rocked forwardly on the cross bar 13 will cause the door flange 29a to pass beneath the door opening angle iron 17. It is therefore impossible to accidentally open the door 28 when the container 26 is lowered into position. This is a very important feature of this invention, particularly when the container 26 contains small, readily flowable articles. In these instances, if the door were opened as the container was rocked forwardly into position, actual practice has shown that there is great danger of these small articles flowing forwardly into the container 14 at such a rate that they hit the bottom of the container and bounce out onto the floor. This action is of course prevented by the present invention not only because the door 28 is not opened until the operator is ready to open it, but also by reason of the fact that the operator can open the door 28 to any desired extent by means of the lever 19 and toggle 21-22 system used in opening the door.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. Material handling apparatus, comprising: a container for the material including a wall having a discharge opening; a movable door closing said openings; a structure releasably supporting the container; a receiver on said structure positioned to receive material from the container through the opening; a movable operating device on the supporting structure for engaging the door, the device and door being movable from fully closed to fully open positions; and means for substantially immovably securing the operating device and door in a selected one of a plurality of positions between fully closed and fully open positions to regulate the etfective size of the discharge opening and thus the rate of discharge through said opening.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said operating device includes a lever arcuately movable on said supporting device and located exteriorly of the receiver.

3. Material handling apparatus, comprising: a container for the material including a wall having a dis charge opening; a movable door closing said opening; a structure releasably supporting the container; a re- 'ceiver on said structure positioned to receive material from the container through the opening; an operating device including an arcuately movable lever on the supporting structure; a reciprocable member mounted on said structure for engaging the door; linkage means interconnecting the lever and reciprocable member for reciprocating said member and thus moving the door on movement of the lever, the device and door being movable from fully closed to fully open positions; and means for substantially immovably securing the operating device and door in a selected one of a plurality of positions between fully closed and fully open positions to regulate the effective size of the discharge opening and thus the rate of discharge through said opening.

4. Material handling apparatus, comprising: a container for the material including a wall having a discharge opening; a movable door closing said opening; a structure releasably supporting the container; a receiver on said structure positioned to receive material from the container through the opening; an operating device including an arcuately movable lever on the supporting structure; a reciprocable member mounted on said structure for engaging the door, the member engaging the closed door when the container is placed on the supporting structure only when the operating device is in fully closed position; linkage means interconnecting the lever and reciprocable member for reciprocating said member and thus moving the door on movement of the lever, the device and door being movable from fully closed to fully open positions; and means for substantially immovably securing the operating device and door in a selected one of a plurality of positions between fully closed and fully open positions to regulate the efiective size of the discharge opening and thus the rate of discharge through said opening.

5. Material handling apparatus, comprising: a container for the material including a wall having a discharge opening; a movable door closing said opening; a structure releasably supporting the container; a receiver on said structure positioned to receive material from the container through the opening; an operating device; means movably mounting the operating device on the supporting structure for engaging the door; and means for moving said operating device and thus the engaged door from fully closed to fully open positions, the operating device engaging the closed door when the container is placed on the supporting structure only when the operating device is in substantially fully closed position.

6. Material handling apparatus, comprising: a container for the material including a wall having a discharge opening; a movable door closing said opening; a structure releasably supporting the container; a receiver on said structure positioned to receive material from the container through the opening; an operating device including an arcuately movable lever on the supporting structure; a reciprocable member mounted on said structure for engaging the door, the member engaging the closed door when the container is placed on the supporting structure only when the operating device is in fully closed position; and linkage means interconnecting the lever and reciprocable member for reciprocating said member and thus moving the door on movement of the lever.

7. Material handling apparatus, comprising: a container for the material including a wall having a discharge opening; a movable door closing said opening; a structure releasably supporting the container; a receiver on said structure positioned to receive material from the container through the opening; an operating device; means movably mounting the operating device on the supporting structure for engaging the door; and means for moving said operating device and thus the engaged door from fully closed to fully open positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,120,269 Sloan June 14, 1938 2,658,647 Stoner Nov. 10, 1953 2,662,671 Almas Dec. 15, 1953 2,762,529 Johnson Sept. 11, 1956 

